THIRD BATTLE WITH EYELESS ROBBERS 237 



the 250 heroes into the coffin. Form in line and we'll 

 march to the grave. 



DOROTHY. The mocking-bird is furnishing all kinds of 

 music, and that cricket is singing "Peace, peace, peace." 



ALBERT. There ! How do you like what I've written 

 on the tombstone: 



DEATH TO ALL TYRANTS. 



Here lie the bodies 



Of 250 brave ants that died 



In defense of their queens, their government, 



Their children, and their homes. 



KENNETH. Ours are surveying their new ranch. Scouts 

 go out in all directions to see the lay of the land, to learn 

 of food prospects, and to locate trails maybe. 



ALBERT. Look at this undertaker. She has dragged a 

 dead queen seven feet in the broiling sun over a bad road. 

 The queen's hooked claws catch on everything. The ant 

 works as if mad. It has carried the body by the mouth, a 

 leg, the back, and now a wing has been pulled off. 



KENNETH. Well, what about that? The undertaker 

 has had heart failure, a sunstroke or something and has 

 fallen over dead. Why didn't she leave the' body near the 

 cave door. I saw an ant overcome that way yesterday 

 when the heat was 123 on the ground. 



ALBERT. I saw that, too. The next ant that came 

 along picked up the body and carried it into the shade of 

 some saltgrass, and the sick ant soon came to. 



KENNETH. Two other ants tried to help our under- 

 taker drag the body of that queen just mentioned, but 

 soon quit and ran to shade. I suppose that queen died as 

 the result of the battle this morning. No doubt our nurses 

 are having a busy day of it attending to the sick and 

 dying. 



